Re: How to be in the pack? Hah, I doubt anything would get Charlie off a dead seagull! But my magic word now has 7 months of value built up without use, so I'm hopeful.... I have had some success lately delivering treats in a more "interesting" way, not just stuffing them in his mouth but saying "let's play! Charlie!" and tossing them, rolling them, hiding them behind me and saying "get it!" Or "find it!" adds a lot of interest, and now "let's play! " gets his attention super quick, and more importantly keeps his attention for longer. Might be obvious to everyone else, but I think I've been boring with my treat delivery. :
Re: How to be in the pack? A good strategy Julie. Something else to work on....my To Do List never gets shorter....
Re: How to be in the pack? [quote author=JulieT link=topic=5477.msg69446#msg69446 date=1397941862] Hah, I doubt anything would get Charlie off a dead seagull! But my magic word now has 7 months of value built up without use, so I'm hopeful.... I have had some success lately delivering treats in a more "interesting" way, not just stuffing them in his mouth but saying "let's play! Charlie!" and tossing them, rolling them, hiding them behind me and saying "get it!" Or "find it!" adds a lot of interest, and now "let's play! " gets his attention super quick, and more importantly keeps his attention for longer. Might be obvious to everyone else, but I think I've been boring with my treat delivery. : [/quote] Is anyone else secretly glad no one is filming us while we are home training the dog??
Re: How to be in the pack? [quote author=Lisa link=topic=5477.msg70628#msg70628 date=1398317288] Is anyone else secretly glad no one is filming us while we are home training the dog?? [/quote] I was on the street. Dancing around, tossing treats, moonwalking backwards, bending down to get Charlie to come towards me, saying "Charlie! Charlie! Let's play! Wheeeeee! Get it! Get it!". The pretty poodle and its owner trotted by, looking bemused.... ;D ;D ;D
Re: How to be in the pack? [quote author=JulieT link=topic=5477.msg69218#msg69218 date=1397852588] To make you smile, I hope: on the common tonight, another dog at about 15m - a young bitch. ln heat? Maybe, his reaction was extreme, first time I've seen this anyway. Tried everything I had to get his attention back on me. Nope. I was irrelevant to his determination to this dog. I thought "right!". And emptied my treat bag over his head! A shower of kibble and salmon strips. It worked! [/quote] So funny!!
Re: How to be in the pack? Been there Julie. ;D Had a break through with the OH and S&S excitement. Ive told the OH over and over to ignore them when they get over excited. Unfortunately he doesn't understand the concept of ignoring even after I'd spelt it out, don't touch them, don't speak to them, don't even look at them. What do you do with somebody who won't do as they are told? Make them face the wall ! The naughty step wouldn't work S&S would still get attention. It worked. The dogs went racing in then stopped and looked at him. They still wagged like mad sniffing at his feet but didn't get worked up and after a couple of circles of the room they left him alone !!!! It was funny Scott stood next to him looking up trying to see his face. When he got no eye contact he looked a bit bewildered then came away. After a couple of goes of this they'd improved dramatically. At the weekend (OH back at work now) we will do the same the first time they go in to him then try him with his back to the wall. I've worked out how to stop him making eye contact. How do you keep a computer geeks eyes focused? Candy Crush on his phone. The next two steps after that I could do with advice about. I need the OH to be able to interact with them without them going loopy and be able to sit down obviously. : I was thinking first interaction. While they are calm around him ignoring them he could tell them to sit then calmly stroke under the chin. If at any point they start getting worked up he turns to the wall. Hopefully they will then learn to get his attention they need to be calm. Same plan for when he sits down. Also by then I'm hoping they will have calmed down more anyway. Any advice on starting interaction I'd be grateful for as that's the bit I need to get right this time . :
Re: How to be in the pack? You're a genius Brilliant. I reckon that your plan of him asking them to sit for a pat (after a suitable period of wall facing) is a good one. The attention is the reward. No calm, no attention.
Re: How to be in the pack? Thanks Rachael. Just hope we can crack it this time. It seems to be having the right effect. In an evening when they still get excited by him but will calm down they seem to be calmer overall since we started the facing the wall project. The things these dogs have us doing ! ;D
Re: How to be in the pack? [quote author=Boogie link=topic=5477.msg70667#msg70667 date=1398328714] Husband training - much trickier than dog training! [/quote] Exactly ;D Oooooo how exciting I've just worked out how to do quotes. ;D ;D ;D It's actually not difficult. ???
Re: How to be in the pack? I'm so pleased I found this thread. I rarely leave Chip alone as he's pretty anxious but when I do and I return I literally have to fling the door open, he flies out into the yard and I shut the door behind him. Thankfully I live on a green so I have to let him run up and down for ten minutes or so otherwise his excitement would have him knocking everything in the house flying. He's panting, can't sit down because he's so excitable and quite honestly takes on the air of something demonic. After 10 minutes of him running and me not making eye contact, he'll finally trot round the block with me until we get back and he's calmer. Then we can go inside and he gets a treat for being calm. Typing it out has made me realise it's a bit crazy!! I may just allow him into the yard now, rather than on to the green and stand facing the wall. God forbid anyone should see me doing this ???
Re: How to be in the pack? Hi Kate. Like I said before it is ridiculous what these dogs get us doing. However needs must. : My two act really crazy with the OH but it's quite amazing the difference it's made having him face the wall so there's no chance of eye contact. It was unfortunate I only thought of it on the last day of he had off. I'm expecting to have to start again on Saturday but you never know. :. We tried a variety of things but facing the wall has been the most successful and one I could work out how to progress. With the other things we've tried I could see how it could teach them not to jump up at him but not how it would calm them from the full body wag and inability to follow commands. This way if they start to go loopy he faces the wall all rewards gone until calm. I hope it helps you as well. Fingers crossed let me know how you get on.
Re: How to be in the pack? I'm interested, Jen, as to whether your OH thought you were a total fruit loop for your training suggestions, or whether he saw the logic behind your plans? Interested in a serious way!
Re: How to be in the pack? [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=5477.msg70755#msg70755 date=1398369138] I'm interested, Jen, as to whether your OH thought you were a total fruit loop for your training suggestions, or whether he saw the logic behind your plans? Interested in a serious way! [/quote] Bit of both Jacqui. He thinks I'm nuts when it comes to my dogs anyway but he had to agree something needed doing. He'd also got fed up of me saying if he'd stopped them when they were pups like I suggested we wouldn't have this problem. All I got when they jumped on him as pups and told him to stop them was 'it's fine '. : Also he doesnt have a choice.
Re: How to be in the pack? I faced the wall! In the front yard... he was bouncing about then just kind of stopped, then bounced a bit, then stopped. Didn't put his bum on the floor as he was still too excited but it definitely curbed his madness. I think he was quite curious. When he was calmer I turned around and he started bouncing again so I turned back. Took us 4 times but then I just turned towards him, went past him and took him on the grass for a wee. Hurrah! Thank you so much for the suggestion!!
Re: How to be in the pack? Brilliant and such a great result so quick. I'm so glad it's worked for you. I will tell the OH of your success as proof I'm not nuts. We have progress. They only go near him once now so next weekend I will let him turn and face forward. Straight back to facing the wall if they jump though. He's got Friday off so we will have 4 days in a row to practise so hopefully we can progress quicker. Our problem is they are only daft with him during the day. Evenings although excited they don't go wild so we can only practise at weekends. :-\
Re: How to be in the pack? I'm pretty sure that the next time I leave him it will be the same scenario. He comes to work with me and pretty much everywhere with me, so like you there aren't many times I get to practice. But at least now I have a way of calming him down. Maybe eventually I can just let myself into the house and do it inside. Good luck!
